Steering-head for velocipedes.



No. 640,834. Patented Ian. 9, i900. G. L. THOMPSON. STEERING HEAD FOR VELOGIPEDES.

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UNITED STATES PATENT GEORGE L. THOMPSON, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

STEERING-HEAD FOR VELOC IPEDES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 640,834, dated January 9, 1900.

Application filed April 15, 1899. Serial No. 713,133. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, GEORGE L. THOMPSON, of Chicago, in thecounty of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Steering-Heads for Velocipedes, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in velocipede parts, and refers more specifically to an improved steering head of stamped or die-formed construction.

The object of the invention is to provide an improved construction possessing superior strength and capable of being more economically manufactured than has usually been the case heretofore, while at the same time its construction is such as to reduce to a minimum the labor of accuratelyfitting the framesections thereto.

The invention consists in the matters hereinafter described, and more particularly pointed out in the appended claim, and will be readily understood, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a side elevation of a steeringhead embodying my invention. Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the same. Fig. 3 is a side elevationof one of the reinforcements, the protruding portions of which form the lug or nipple for the reception of a frame-tube end. Fig. 4 is a top plan view of the parts shown in Fig. 3. Fig. 5 is a cross-sectional view taken on line 5 5 of Fig. 1. Fig. 6 is afront elevation of a filling-piece which underlies that part of the longitudinal seam of the outer shell or barrel extending between the reinforcing-thimble.

Referring to said drawings, A designates as a whole the main outer shell or steeringhead, which is constructed of sheet metal of the usual generally cylindric form and is provided with upper and lower nipple-sockets act, respectively formed integrally therewith and arranged to project therefrom at the proper angles to receive the upper and lower main frame members of the usual diamond frame. The outer shell is formed from a sheet-metal blank by drawing out the lugs or nipple-sockets by the use of suitable dies from a blank of generally-rectangular form and forming the body of the shell into approximately U shape in cross-section, as indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 2. Preferably, and as shown in the presentinstance, thelugs are located entirely within the body of the blank, so that the longitudinal seam M, which unites the side margins of the blank to form the cylinder, will be located at a point remote from the lugs, (in the present instance diametrically opposite the latter,) the object of thus locating the seam being to avoid diffi culty in efiecting a perfect weld, as hereinafter described.

The ends of the lugs or nipple-sockets are dressed or cut off at right angles to their several longitudinal axes, the end margins thereof a a forming annular shoulders, against which the ends of the frame-tubes abut to form a flush joint.

In order to form the inner supports or nipples proper, B B, over the ends of which the frame members telescope, and at the same time to provide reinforcements for the upper and lower ends of the steering-head, I provide thimble-shaped reinforcements B B which are also made of sheet metal and have formed integrally therewith semitubular lugs b b, arranged to extend out through the respective nipple-sockets a at. These reinforcements are also formed up from blanks having a generally-rectangular main portion or body from which the cylindric thimble is formed and provided upon its side margins with the lugs from which the semitubular halvesb b are formed, these latter being so arranged that when the blank is bent into cylindric form the side margins of the semitubular-lug members meet to form the complete nipple, as indicated in the drawings. Obviously when thus formed the seam 17 0f the reinforcement extends longitudinally through both the nipple and the thim= ble in a vertical plane. Preferably the nipple halves will be so shaped that when brought together the nipple will have the fish-tailed form indicated in the drawings. The reinforcements thus formed are inserted in place in the barrel of the steering-head before the side margins of the latter are united and while it is in the U -shaped form hereinbefore described, and it may be noted in this connection that in practice it is found unnecessary to braze or otherwise unite the meeting edges of the reinforcing, since they are held perfectly rigid within the barrel by reason of their shape,

and, moreover, the protruding ends which telescope within the frame members will become brazed together by the same operation by which the said framernembers are united With the nipples.

The seam c? of the outer shell is in the preferred construction illustrated electrically. welded, and in order to facilitate thewelding it is desirable or necessary that the thickness of the barrel shall be the same throughout its entire length. For this purpose I provide an underlying filling-strip 0, made of sheet metal of the same thickness as the thimbles B B In order to hold this strip in position beneath the line of the seam, it is made somewhat longer than the distance between the thimbles, and the latter are provided with recesses 19 1), adapted to receive the ends of the strip,

and in order that the strip shall be held in place Without other special provision until the welding is effected it is provided at its ends with laterally-projectin g arms 0, which extend at least half-Way around the interior of the steering-head, as indicated at c, the ends of these arms engaging the side margins of the recesses 23 b and thereby preventing the strip from dropping out.

After the parts have been assembled in the manner described the side margins of the steering-head barrel are brought together over the reinforcement-thimbles and fillingstrip, the seam heated in an electric furnace,

- and the Weld completed by hammering, asuitable mandrel being passed through the steerlug-head, so as to underlie the seam during the hammering.

It will be seen from the foregoing description that a steering-head embodying my invention may be very economically manufactured, the parts being all of such construcfinished being practically seamless.

tion as to be readily formed by the use of simple and inexpensive dies and the device when At the same time by reason of the peculiar construction described the annular shoulders formed at the juncture of the nipples with the nippie-sockets are sharper than it is practicable to make them when the nipples are drawn out integrally with the base portions thereof, so that a closer and more perfect joint is produced without special shaping of the ends of the frame members.

I claim as my invention-- A velocipede steering-head comprising a sheet-metal cylindric main body A having a seam a extending longitudinally throughout the length of its front side and provided at its opposite side with integral nipple-sockets a, or, located in parts of the body untraversed by the seam, saidnipple-sockets having their end portions formed at right angles to their several longitudinal axes forming annular shoulders a a, and reinforcements B B consisting of split thimbles arranged to fit within the body at points opposite the nipple-sockets, each provided with integral semitubular nipples formed adjacent to the seam of the thimble and having their side marginsabnn ting against each other said nipples being arranged to protrude through the several nipplesockets, substantially as described.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my inventionI atiix my signature, in presence of two subscribing witnesses,- this 8th day of April, A. D. 1899.

GEORGE L. THOMPSON.

lVitnesses:

E. L. GRAVES,

ALBERT H. Gnnvns. 

